International scientists head into the fast-lane of Denmark’s burgeoning quantum ecosystem

Strategic recruitment of international talent is helping Denmark establish itself as a research powerhouse in quantum science and technology Shared purpose Maria Cerdà Sevilla and her colleagues at Quantum DTU in Lyngby are shaping the trajectory of technology translation and commercial innovation in quantum science. (Courtesy: Bax Lindhardt/DTU) Denmark, it seems, is increasingly walking the walk, not just talking the talk, when it comes to quantum science and innovation. Structurally, the country’s “quantum ecosystem” is on a roll, with more than 75 organizations now actively engaged around a shared national mission via the Danish Quantum Community , a network of start-ups, scale-ups, incumbent technology companies, investors, research institutions and government agencies. Money is greasing the wheels. In October last year, Denmark launched 55North , the world’s largest venture-capital fund dedicated exclusively to quantum technologies and applications. Headquartered in Copenhagen and backed by the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark (EIFO), the fund opened with a capital injection of €134 million (and a target base of €300 million) to back high-growth companies in the nascent quantum supply chain – within Denmark and beyond. Workforce development is also mandatory – a strategic acknowledgement that Denmark must scale the “quantum talent pipeline” if it is to translate advances in fundamental science and applied R&D into next-generation quantum technologies. Capacity-building is well under way as Danish universities work with industry and government partners to train a skilled and diverse quantum workforce of “all the talents”, with recruitment of international scientists and engineers seen as fundamental to Denmark’s long-term quantum ambitions. Joined-up thinking in quantum A case study in this regard is Maria Cerdà Sevilla, head of Quantum DTU , the Center for Quantum Technologies at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). Located in Lyngby, just north of Copenhagen, Quantum DTU coordinates the research activities of around 300 quantum scientists, working across 12 departments at DTU and focused around five main research themes: quantum computing, quantum communications, quantum sensing, advanced materials as well as cross-cutting initiatives in nanofabrication and next-generation quantum chips. “The goal is to ensure that DTU is not merely participating in quantum science but also shaping the trajectory of technology translation and commercial innovation in the field,” explains Cerdà Sevilla. Put another way: Quantum DTU is all about outcomes versus three broad-scope metrics: scientific depth (world-class research in quantum physics and engineering); building the quantum ecosystem (integrating diverse research disciplines, developing infrastructure, plus education and training); and, finally, readiness for market deployment (meaning responsible and scalable implementation of quantum technologies). “Our s